India: orange prices decline as farmer protests in Delhi affect movement

The ongoing farmers’ protests in Delhi have hit orange growers from Maharashtra hard. With the movement of the fruit to the national capital and other markets in the north being affected due to the blockade, prices of oranges in the state have fallen.“Last year around this time, farmers were getting between Rs 35,000 and Rs 45,000 per tonne for their produce. Now, they are barely getting Rs 7,000-Rs 15,000 per tonne. On one hand, rains have affected the markets in the south and on the other hand, farm protests have affected the movement of the fruit to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana,” Shreedhar Thakare, executive director of MahaOrange, an exporter facilitator company engaged in grading, waxing and promotion of oranges, said.“The Ambia Bahar season, which commenced from September, will conclude in January. The crop has been good despite the long rainy season. The farm protests, however, have led to oversupply in the local market,” he said. Orange growers said traders ...